The episode
presents an analysis of Elizabeth Kolbert's book on mass extinctions, focusing on the role of humans in the Anthropocene. It describes various endangered animal species, from the golden frog to rhinoceroses, illustrating the loss of biodiversity. The history of the concept of extinction is also explored, from ancient times to the present, highlighting the contributions of scientists like Cuvier and Darwin. The book emphasizes the severity of the sixth mass extinction, driven by human activity, and its irreversible consequences for the global ecosystem. The 2024 edition uses the image of an ammonite, a fossil symbolizing a previous mass extinction, to represent the current situation.
